happy easter!

this is the gang of four on Easter Sunday in 1961 and the littlest is now 50....how did THAT happen?  it really was only yesterday, wasn't it?  i hope they all see this and know i love them and will for always.  ***** what did i do today?  had dinner with family and finished a UFO...will post photo tomorrow!

leaders/enders

this is my ongoing inchie leaders/enders project.  when i get 1.5" squares out of scraps, i put them aside in a little tote next to the old viking.  i sew them in rows of 16 and they are getting sewn into squares for a future scrappy project.  i've been doing this for a while now and have enough for one whole square now, so it'll be a while before any flimsy appears.  the leaders/enders allow me to get the max from my spool of thread, which i like a lot.  before L/E, a lot of thread went into the trash can but no longer.  another gem of a tip from quiltville USA!  before L/E i would use a thread bunny over and over that eventually got tossed, but this method is sooo much better and way more frugal. 

today's tasks...

not much really, but i have been watching the eaglecam quite a bit.  it is fascinating viewing and i am amazed at how fast these chicks grow.  in the past week they have begun to shed their down and grow feathers and even try their wings.  on thursday, april 21st, the banding process will begin at about 9 am, so i'll be watching then.  no, it isn't the royal wedding but darn near as interesting and certainly more educational.  if you have some time, be sure to check in.  there is a moderator posting answers to questions that are emailed with lots of info about eagle habits and lifestyle.  did you know eagles mate for life?  this pair has raised chicks in this particular location since about 2001.  did you know that by the time the feathers appear, their feet are full grown?  they now weigh about 5 pounds each with a wingspan of 3 feet.  disclaimer:  the parent eagles often bring food, dead fish or birds, so if you are squeamish about this, don't tune in to watch this engrossing live show.

pineapple progress

spent some time sunday afternoon working on this flimsy.  so far i've gotten all these blocks finished with more halfway done.  (that's sunshine filtering through blinds)  i used batiks and am happy with the look/result so far.  the best thing about batik fabrics is that they all together no matter what, and i have never seen one i didn't like either.  i originally planned for 24 squares but i've upped that to 36, which will give it a square finish and large enough to use as a bed covering.  it'll have a 1.5" finished inner border and then an outside border of something batik, not sure what at this moment.  i do have some bonus HSTs but i think they'll be saved for another project.  well, daytime plans await....

ahhhh..

a good night's sleep in my own bed, the sealy posturepedic extra firm, thank you, which is about as good as it gets in my book.  ****  i've posted a photo of my blocks so far, the good ones, and i'm anxious to pull out the machine today to make more.  though it's tame compared to some design-wise, i had a reason for that.  i used white and avoided the sashing in order to hand quilt, using open spaces for patterns.  i wanted the batik colors to pop once it's quilted.  we'll see if that works or not.  i might also dig out those plaids i've been saving and cut some strips or squares for a new project.....

a fun-derful weekend so far...

just returned from ny and a bonnie hunter workshop and lecture.  those 7 hours of driving were really one very long design session.  all the way i planned the next 40 or so quilts i want to make heeding bonnie's mantra of using scraps and venturing out of my comfort zone.  i already have the "having fun" part down pat, rest assured.  short but true story here....many years ago i had a friend who made ultra-contemporay pieces.  she had an art degree.  i loved her stuff.  they hung all over the white walls in her home and i felt like i was in a gallery each time i stopped by.  i didn't "get" her designs, but i wanted to know her secret so i took her class.....THREE TIMES!  it was only a color value class, not nuclear astrophysics.  in the first 10-week class, i chose a block pattern.  in each of the next 2 classes, i made exactly one block.  the project got buried out of sheer paralysis.  i simply didn't know what to do next.  when i moved, it moved with me hidden away for someday.  years later i learned she had died from breast cancer.  i felt so sad, especially because of the unfinished piece.  i pulled it out, studied the diagram, memorized and chanted the value rules and finally finished it.  along the way, a bona fide brainstorm!  i felt like helen keller at the pump, seriously.  it wasn't nuclear astrophysics, it was
V-A-L-U-E!  my friend saw my quilts and had told me all along i was "doing it" but didn't know why and she was so right.  when i saw bonnie's quilts, she had the VALUE thing married to the TRADITIONAL thing, which was exactly my ballpark.  i know kathleen weinheimer would be proud of my finished piece, though i see where i should have tweaked it a bit.  i promise, i'm NOT on drugs at all, i've just overdosed on color and fabric!  and please, no interventions....

the quilting pied piper

this is bonnie hunter's new book.  unless you've been under a rock for the past five or so years, no doubt you have heard of this quilting diva/temptress who has revolutionized the art of the scrappy quilt.  even artsy types could get excited over these ideas.  as one who loves/makes scrappy quilts AND is a traditional quilter, bonnie's gospel is my muse.  she started her website offering ideas and patterns and photos to drool over for FREE. that's right, FREE.  legions of converts consider her website an invaluable source of inspiration and expertise.  she has coaxed me out of my safety zone; sort of, occasionally, increasingly, and inspired me beyond quilting 101 into patchwork nirvana, well almost.  repurposing and recycling may be current buzzwords, but are practices not at all new and make perfect sense, not just in a challenging economy.   if you're looking to be jettisoned from the humdrum quilting groove you're in, look no further than www.quiltville.com.   in a flash,  you'll be cutting up old shirts and stopping at every thrift, happily joining the pack. 

cheap entertainment

i've been nearly glued to the eagle cam at the norfolk, virginia, botanical garden.  there are 3 eaglets in the nest that are growing by leaps and bounds; one is flapping his little wings appearing quite anxious to be big enough to take off.  occasionally i see a parent eagle in the nest as well, though they prefer perching on a branch.  there are comments from staff and all kinds of neat information.  on april 21st the eaglets will be banded and that is going to be shown as well.  if you have some free time, it's fascinating.

almost

despite some tummy trouble for a couple of days, the wallhanging is almost all quilted.  perhaps the binding will get started (and finished?) this weekend.  i also visited the dentist this week, which was actually a nearly pleasant appointment.  all it takes is enough novocaine, really.  gotta go, pizza for supper....yum!

another detour

took a break from sewing for a blast from the past.  pulled out my 45s stash, total of 73, and copied them to CD.  why?  takes up less room of course!  i am also working on my stash of LP albums as well.  i checked prices on ebay first and found that their value is miniscule, so they are getting copied and flung....all but the beatles of course!  each CD holds about 30 45s or 2 albums, so it saves quite a bit of space, welcome in our small apartment.  i am squeezing in a bit of quilting too, though.  ***** sending another letter to my senators about the budget.  why is it NASA is a sacred cow?  why are millions and billions being spent on outer space only for people on earth to be homeless and hungry and without healthcare?  sounds like somebody's priorities are skewed for sure.